Google faces China lawsuit over book scanning

By staff and wire services reports

December 29th, 2009

The Associated Press reports that a Chinese novelist is suing Google Inc. for scanning her work into its online library. Mian Mian, a counterculture writer known for her lurid tales of sex, drugs and nightlife, filed suit in October after the U.S. search giant scanned her latest book, “Acid House.” After a two-hour hearing Tuesday, a Beijing judge told the two sides to hold talks on a settlement and report back, said her lawyer, Sun Jingwei. He said Mian Mian, who was not at the hearing, wants damages of 61,000 yuan ($8,950) and a public apology. A Google spokeswoman in Beijing, Marsha Wang, said the company removed Mian Mian’s works from its library as soon as it learned of the lawsuit. Wang said Google had no further comment on the suit or Tuesday’s hearing. “We think even if they remove Mian Mian’s work, their previous behavior is a violation of her rights,” Sun said. “We demand a public apology.”